The Duellists (1977)

(YouTube Streaming, December 2022) As far as a debut feature film goes, Ridley Scott’s The Duellists is an impressive entry. The narrative has to do with French officers repeatedly duelling over an eventful span of history, but the real draw here is Scott’s visual artistry. When seen in high definition, it often feels as fresh as anything else available today, and the multiple visual flourishes are still wonderful. From the painting-like qualities of the film’s interiors to the breathtaking final shot that feels like an over-directed CGI showcase, The Duellists is still a visual treat. It could probably be more accessible from a story perspective, but the framework is simple enough to follow. Great care has been taken to ensure that the film looks and feels accurate—to the point that the film manages to surprise in how it treats duels (and sword-fighting) seriously and avoids many movie clichés. Not all debuts are worth seeing on their own, but The Duellists has enough that it would still be interesting even had Scott never directed another film in his life. (But he did, and the next two were nothing less than Alien and Blade Runner.)